Canon’s new flagship PowerShot G1 X Mark II, aimed at both professional and advanced amateur photographers, boasts a sensor that is 4.5x larger than a 1/1.7-inch sensor found in professional level point-and-shoot cameras, so will produce high-quality images with a wide dynamic range, says the company.

It features a new type of 1.5-inch, 12.8-megapixel High-Sensitivity CMOS sensor, made by Canon, allowing for optimum performance with an ISO range of 100-12800. This sensor, combined with the DIGIC 6 Image Processor, produces the Canon HS System, resulting in faster autofocusing speeds over the PowerShot G1 X, allowing image capture even in low-light conditions.

Featuring a newly-developed f/2.0-3.9, 5x optical zoom lens (24-120 mm equivalent) with Dual Control Rings, this new camera provides customized zooming and focus-functionality similar to a DSLR camera.

The Dual Control Rings include a Step Ring to adjust various customizable settings and a Continuous Ring to make focusing adjustments during manual focus, as well as additional customizable settings for manual shooting.

The G1 X Mark II is also compatible with Canon’s new optional electronic viewfinder that mounts to the hot shoe. A new optional grip will also be available.

The camera is equipped with built-in Wi-Fi technology, so users can share still images and videos online using compatible mobile devices. Using the Mobile Device Connect button, users can connect to a smartphone, a tablet or a Wi-Fi enabled computer. Connection to the computer is done using Canon iMAGE GATEWAY through the cloud.

The G1 X Mark II introduces Near Field Communication (NFCTM) – a first for G-series cameras – so transferring photos to a compatible Android device can be simple and intuitive. This camera’s new remote shooting feature also allows the user to sync with a smartphone or tablet and utilize the shutter, optical zoom and self-timer features from that device.

The G1 X Mark II has a full range of shooting and recording modes, including 14-bit RAW + JPEG.

The new camera features Advanced Star Mode with four options to capture images of starry night skies. Star Portrait and Star Nightscape modes help capture the radiance of stars while still allowing you to capture the subject. Star Trails mode captures video trails of stars, while Star Time Lapse Movie mode will shoot images of star movement and then combine the images to make a film that shows the movement of the stars.

The Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II will be available in April for a retail price of $849.99.